Following the death of Pope Francis at age 88, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-American prelate, has assumed temporary leadership of the Vatican in his role as Camerlengo. Appointed by the late pope in 2019, Farrell is responsible for overseeing Vatican affairs during the interregnum, including funeral preparations and the organization of the Conclave to elect the next pope.
On Monday, he announced the pope’s death and was scheduled to preside over the ceremonial placement of Francis’s body into his coffin. A former chaplain in Mexico and long-serving cleric in the U.S., Farrell currently serves as prefect for the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, and as president of the Vatican City State Supreme Court. He will be assisted by three other cardinals during this transitional period.
